AA FirstFirst LookLook atat thethe FishFish SpeciesSpecies ofof thethe MiddleMiddle MalinauMalinau Taxonomy,Taxonomy, ecology,ecology, vulnerabilityvulnerability andand importanceimportance Ike Rachmatika, Robert Nasi, Douglas Sheil and Meilinda Wan A First Look at the Fish Species of the Middle Malinau Taxonomy, ecology, vulnerability and importance Ike Rachmatika, Robert Nasi, Douglas Sheil and Meilinda Wan ISBN 979-3361-67-0 © 2005 by CIFOR, all rights reserved. Published in 2005 Printed by SMK Grafika Desa Putera Jakarta - Indonesia Cover photo by Douglas Sheil Fish drawings by Yanuar Graphic design and layout by Eko Prianto Published by Center for International Forestry Research (CIFOR) Mailing address: P.O. Box. 6596 JKPWB, Jakarta 10065, Indonesia Office address: Jalan CIFOR, Situ Gede, Sindang Barang Bogor Barat 16680 - Indonesia Tel: +62(251) 622 622 Fax: +62(251) 622 100 E-mail: [email protected] Website: www.cifor.cgiar.org Table of Contents Acknowledgement iv A preamble regarding CIFOR’s work in Malinau v Introduction 1 The Malinau Research Forest 2 Material and Methods 4 Results and Discussion 5 Conclusion 15 References 16 Appendix 1: List and description of sampled stations 20 Appendix 2: List and characteristic of collected fish 26 A first look at the fish species of the middle Malinau: iii Taxonomy, ecology, vulnerability and importance Acknowledgement The research was made possible by the funds from MacArthur Foundation and the European Commission, and the study contributes to a larger project undertaken by Ministry of Forestry of Indonesia and CIFOR funded by International Tropical Timber Organization (ITTO). The first author would like to thank Dr. Arie Budiman (former head of Research Center for Biology, LIPI) and Dr. St. Nuramaliati Prijono (former head of Division of Zoology, Research Center for Biology, LIPI) who gave the first author permission to conduct the survey; Dr. Kuswata Kartawinata and Dr. Douglas Sheil (CIFOR) who facilitated the first author in conducting the survey; also Dr. Herwasono Soedjito, the Seturan camp staff and the MLA team who provided help and guidance in the field. Our gratitude is also expressed to Drs. A.H. Tjakrawidjaja who gave permission in using the fish collec- tion under his care, to Yanuar for allowing us to use his fish drawings, as well as Dr. K. Martin-Smith who graciously sent us all his publications on the effect of disturbances on fresh-water fishes in Sabah. We are grateful to Glen Mulcahy for her early assistance in editing, and Eko Prianto for layout and cover design. Special thanks are conveyed to the people of Seturan, Langap and Loreh villages for their hospitality and participation in the study. iv A first look at the fish species of the middle Malinau: Taxonomy, ecology, vulnerability and importance A preamble regarding CIFOR’s work in Malinau The Malinau area of East Kalimantan (Borneo) There is an increasing appreciation of environmental was until recently little known biologically. It was values, including biodiversity, and their role in suspected that the rugged and forested landscape, maintaining human well-being and economic next to the Kayan Mentarang National Park, would development. Under Article 7 of the Convention have a high value in terms of its plants and animals. on Biological Diversity, for example, signatory A major emphasis for CIFOR’s research has been to countries must assess and monitor their biodiversity. document this biological wealth. This research has Despite these developments, there is little general had three major components: guidance - or practical consensus - on how to proceed. The academic approach to surveys has 1. Finding out what occurs and where; generally been to match very specific methods to 2. Assessing to whom it matters and in what way; very specific questions. However, the most obvious and and urgent practical questions have been too broad 3. Identifying what steps are needed to maintain this and multifaceted for such clear resolution. One such biota in the future. question, which we consider here, is ‘how can we find out what we should know to make better decisions Together, these three strands of information help about tropical forest landscapes?’ Following CIFOR’s define priorities that reflect local considerations goals, we emphasize biodiversity, forest dependent and can inform a wide range of processes, from the people and the environment. development of reduced impact logging guidelines to international forestry and conservation policy. The Much of the global concern about tropical rainforests account of fish reported here provides information derives from fears of major impending extinctions. relevant to each of these strands by combining an Considerable efforts have focused on identifying extensive field study with an evaluation of local the most important sites for protection or sensitive views and practices, as well as some review of what management. Biodiversity surveys have become a is know about the vulnerability and sensitivity of major preoccupation of conservation agencies and each species. Using available reference material are increasingly included in impact assessments. and knowledge helps provide a body of information However, the information generated by these efforts that is available to guide management (for a fuller remains less influential than many would wish. In discussion of this philosophy see Sheil and van many tropical forest countries, the opportunity costs Heist 2000). It is however, the second aspect - what of large-scale conservation are considerable and local matters and how priorities are established - that has people frequently have other priorities. The notion been so overlooked in earlier environmental science. that ‘every species must be maintained at all costs’ is Therefore, we will briefly introduce this topic. thus a view irrelevant to many key decision makers. A first look at the fish species of the middle Malinau: v Taxonomy, ecology, vulnerability and importance Local decisions can only balance ‘biodiversity’ goals willing to live for long periods in the communities with other demands if the values and preferences they will influence. What is needed is a practical of local stakeholders, especially forest dependent method or, indeed, a suite of methods, that can reduce communities, are addressed. the understanding gap and provide a comprehensible summary of what actually matters locally. Such a Local decision makers are not the only agents of approach could also determine what is important, landscape changes we need to consider: outsider-led to whom, how much, and why, as well as a means interventions can also lead to major changes for local to make these local values and preferences more people and the environment. Indeed, from a rural understandable and relevant to the decision making perspective, a town-based official may be viewed process. as much of an ‘outsider’ as an overseas funding agency or a foreigner-led research project. For many CIFOR research is thus committed to developing an stakeholders, especially commercial enterprises, such emerging paradigm in biodiversity research that fits as timber concessionaires and mining companies, these key objectives. Its goal is to record and assess their preferences and motivations are relatively clear the biophysical environment while building clear and easily communicated and understood. But, when links to the needs and priorities of key stakeholders. rural communities with strong indigenous cultures For CIFOR, the key stakeholders are often the are considered, their needs and perceptions remain poor and forest dependent people that are often hidden to most outsiders unless a specific effort is neglected in national development strategies. Such made to uncover them. knowledge helps identify the priorities and needs of local stakeholders, and identifies priorities for both Is there a solution to this problem? Ideally, detailed effective interventions and further research. knowledge would be gained through intimate personal knowledge, but few decision makers are Douglas Sheil - CIFOR, Bogor, Indonesia vi A first look at the fish species of the middle Malinau: Taxonomy, ecology, vulnerability and importance Introduction Logging, agriculture, and activities like road Indonesia is one of the richest centres of biodiversity construction have led to increased sedimentation, in the world, and Kalimantan is categorised as having siltation, and decreasing water quality in numerous one of the highest levels of biodiversity in the seven rivers around the world (Alabaster & Lloyd 1981; bio-geographic regions of the Indonesian Archipelago Rivier & Seguier 1985; Scarbovick 1993; Moring (Ministry of National Development Planning 1992). et al. 1995). This is obviously of some concern Nevertheless, knowledge of freshwater fish diversity when considering the status of fish populations, in the Kalimantan is still largely incomplete (Kottelat since increased suspended sediment can adhere to 1994). gill tissue and lead to respiration difficulties, with subsequent gill abrasion leading to pathogenic The purpose of this study was to prepare an initial penetration. Suspended sediments also decrease checklist of the fish in the area bordered by the phytoplankton, attached algae, and rooted aquatic Seturan and Rian rivers. This list was to be annotated vegetation. In addition, settled sediment may impair with special reference to the habitats each species is reproduction by inhibiting egg respiration and found in, and an assessment of which species have increasing incubation periods.